Last week saw the British Eventing season kick off in fine style – despite some testing weather conditions, but that is to be expected over here in Blighty at this time of year. Helen Bates’ Carpe Diem was certainly happy to be eventing again, fresh off the back of his 5* debut in France last Autumn. When I spoke to Helen in the depths of Winter, she had her sights firmly set on another 5* with her special ‘Demon.’ Will she be lining up for Badminton? We will see, and there’s not long to wait now! I’m not sure about you, but I am already beside myself at the thought of the Spring 5*’s, on both sides of the pond. Eventing Nation will, of course, be bringing you all of the action as it unfolds…the countdown is ON!
International Holiday: Happy International Women’s Day! How lucky are we to have a sport in which men and women are considered equal?! Still, in honour of IWD, I hope you enjoy this special edition of News & Notes, dedicated to the women of our sport.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. International (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]
Full Gallop Farm March I H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
SAzEA Spring H.T. (Tucson, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Southern Pines H.T. I (Raeford, NC)[Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
International Events
Land Rover Horse of the Year (Hastings, New Zealand) [Website] [Program] [Equestrian Schedule] [Eventing Schedule] [Eventing Live Scores] [Live Stream]
Friday News and Reading
As Tilly mentioned on Tuesday, eventing royalty Ingrid Klimke is a strong contender for the German dressage team this year in Paris, with the return of her Grand Prix superstar, Franziskus FRH. But that won’t stop her from aiming for a spot on the eventing team, too. Speaking at a masterclass last week, Ingrid made it obvious that she had not ruled the possibility of competing in both disciplines out, with a plan to get SAP Asha P qualified for the Olympics. With Ingrid’s prowess and experience, I for one, would not be in the least surprised if she pulled it off. In fact, I’d put money on her finishing in a podium position in both disciplines, too.
There is no doubt that the top of our sport is dominated by women at the moment; the reigning European, World and Olympic champion are all women, and four of the world’s 5* titles are currently held by women, too. But it hasn’t always been so, and one of the women responsible for shaking up the status quo, way back when, was Lana DuPont Wright . She made history as the first woman to compete at the Olympics in eventing, and she did so in fine style: she and Mr Wister helped the US team to win a Silver medal. If Ingrid needs any inspiration, she need look no further than Lana, who was also successful in a second discipline, winning Team Gold in the World Pairs Driving Championships, later in her career. That’s what I call Girl Power!
I leave you with a delve into the life and career of one of the most decorated women in the recent days of our sport, Ros Canter. She is the latest guest on Dan Bizarro’s podcast, offering a fascinating insight into her approach to the sport – “it is just a job” – as well as her hopes for an Olympic medal. I seem to be putting money on a lot of things this week, but Ros on the podium in Paris is another bet I am willing to place.
Sponsor Corner
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Weekend Watching
Here in the UK, this Sunday is Mother’s Day, so enjoy a sneak peek behind the scenes with one of the most successful mother-daughter duos in our sport, Mary and Emily King. Join me in raising a glass to all of the Mums, Moms, Mummys, Mothers – and everything in between. You are all wonderful, and should be celebrated everyday, not just Mother’s Day!
